If this billboard makes you uncomfortable, that's the point.

There are many things you probably won't ever think about unless it happens to you.

The stigma around sex and cancer is one of them.

While nearly half of us will experience some form of cancer in our lifetime (which is insane in itself), the topic of sex and intimacy during treatment is something that is rarely talked about... and not fully understood.

Watch: Lea, was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma at 21 years old. We were able to follow her on the day she had her PICC line removed. Post continues below.

60 per cent of women with cancer say they experience sexual dysfunction. And it kind of makes a whole lot of sense, really. Because for some reason, an awful lot of women who get cancer don't ever receive any information about how their diagnosis or treatments will affect their sex life.

Which is crazy, really.

Studies show that in 2023, there is still an incredibly limited body of knowledge about women’s sex life following a diagnosis of cancer in young adulthood — and the existing research is dominated by breast cancer studies. 

Meaning? There are tons of women out there feeling really misunderstood. Alone. Feeling like they can't talk about it.

Enter: GIRLvsCANCER.

In partnership with British creative agency Bartle Bogle Hegarty (BBH), GIRLvsCANCER is a UK-based community campaign that aims to open up the conversation of sex and cancer, breaking down the stigma and bringing some much-needed awareness to create change. 

The campaign describes itself as a 'fierce as f**k cancer collective' and spotlights the experiences of the cancer community, with a series of epic shoots (the billboards can be spotted around London) featuring naked bodies, scars and one very powerful slogan: 'Cancer won’t be the last thing that f**ks me.' 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by GIRLvsCANCER (@girlvscancer)

In 2022, the community-led charity also partnered with fashion brand Pretty Little Thing to launch an inclusive post-surgery friendly swimwear collection (PLT donated 100 per cent of proceeds from this collection).

Lauren Mahon, founder of GIRLvsCANCER, shared: "Sexual wellness should be a part of ongoing routine cancer care, but providing learning resources for healthcare professionals only helps if their patients are empowered to have a conversation about this topic.

"GIRLvsCANCER heroes the human being attached to the diagnosis and shines a light on the variety of ways that a cancer diagnosis affects lives. BBH’s ‘straight to it’ approach to this topic is certainly going to put it on the agenda and help to make it a less taboo part of cancer treatment and recovery."

Helen Rhodes executive creative director at BBH added: "Every single woman in cancer care deserves to get the help they need, but for myriad reasons, often aren’t able to ask for it. Our approach might make some people uncomfortable and that’s fine. As long as it gets people talking, we know that’s the most effective way to kickstart change."

Along with shutting down the stigma of having sex during cancer, the campaign also provides a platform that offers a range of resources and tools through the website.

To find out more, visit http://girlvscancer.co.uk/smashthestigma or follow the campaign on Instagram. Because getting cancer doesn’t mean you should stop enjoying sex.

What are your thoughts on the campaign? Share them with us in the comment section below.

Feature image: GIRLvsCANCER